Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Is it acceptable to repeatedly pray for the same thing?
In one of my other stories, a reader asked the question:
“Why ‘spend so much time in prayer for my family and friends?’ Why don’t you trust that an Omnipotent God heard you the first time and won’t forget?”
I do trust an Omnipotent God. I do believe He heard my prayer and won’t forget.
But I must admit, his question made me reflect on why I pray the same prayers every day. My gut reaction was that I needed to pray continuously. But I also wondered where this instinct originated from. So I turned to the Bible.
Jesus, Himself, prayed more than once for the same thing.
So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. (Matthew 26:44, NIV)
In commentaries, it’s suggested Jesus repeated this act to demonstrate that giving our requests to God is a way of sharing the mental and emotional burden with Him. Jesus taught us by example to show the intensity of feeling and earnestness.
I wondered where else in the Bible someone prayed more than once for something. I learned that Abraham had prayed for Sodom more than five times (Genesis 18:22–33), Moses prayed for the Israelites multiple times (Exodus 32:11–14, Numbers 14:13–20), Elijah prayed for rain repeatedly (1 Kings 18:42–44), Hannah prayed for a child for years (1 Samuel 1:10–12), David prayed for deliverance many times (Psalm 51:1–12, Psalm 25:4–7), and Elisha prayed for a child to be raised from the dead a number of times (2 Kings 4:32–35). All these examples emphasize the importance of perseverance in prayer.
Jesus also used parables to teach us to be persistent in prayer.
In the story of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8), Jesus taught that if even an unjust judge answered persistence, how much more would God answer His children who pray continuously?
In another story (Luke 11:5–10), Jesus taught that if even a man answered his friend’s persistence at midnight, God would be more willing to answer when we kept praying.
Jesus used these stories to encourage us to not give up on praying. He wants us to be bold in prayer and not just pray once but keep asking.
I feel it’s similar to spending time with my husband. We often rehash events, share our dreams and wishes, and discuss our future over and over again. We repeat ourselves because we have an intimate relationship. I believe God wants a similar relationship with us.
Prayer isn’t just asking — it’s talking to God like a spouse or good friend. He wants us to lean on Him and rely on His strength. However, God isn’t a magic genie where we rub a lamp, say a prayer, and get an instant answer. His timing is always perfect, even when (especially when) we don’t understand.
Repeated prayer helps to change us. It helps us to learn patience and align with His will. The more we pray, the more we learn to listen to His voice and understand His will.
The Bible shows that persistent prayer is an expression of faith. So keep praying!
Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, AMP)
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